Vu Thi Trang bows out in Korea Masters quarter-finals

Trang went down 9-21, 19-21 to world No. 35 and fourth seed Han, one of China's promising young players.

The Chinese player dominated the opening game with her superior speed, fitness and attacking play, quickly building a comfortable lead before taking it 21-9.

Trang produced a much stronger performance in the second, keeping pace with her opponent and applying pressure at several stages. However, Han stayed composed at crucial moments to seal the game 21-19 and advance to the semi-finals.

Despite the defeat, Trang enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Republic of Korea, highlighted by her second-round upset of India's world No. 45 and eighth seed Anmol Kharb.

Reaching the last eight of a BWF World Tour Super 300 event marked another notable achievement for the 1992-born shuttler, who continues to compete at a high level despite facing a younger generation of higher-ranked opponents.

Her quarter-final finish earned her US$1,500 in prize money along with valuable BWF World Ranking points.

Trang’s defeat also marked the end of Vietnam’s campaign at the Korea Masters.

Earlier, Nguyen Thuy Linh, Nguyen Hai Dang, Nguyen Dinh Hoang, Tran Dinh Manh, Pham Thi Khanh and Pham Thi Dieu Ly had all exited the tournament in their respective events.

Following the Korea Masters, the Vietnamese players will have more than a week to rest and prepare for the 2026 BWF World Championships in India, the season's biggest tournament.

Top shuttler Thuy Linh exits Korea Masters 2026 in first round

VOV.VN - Vietnam's top badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh was eliminated in the opening round of the Korea Masters 2026 after losing to China's rising star Xu Wen Jing in the women's singles on August 5.